Online Resource: Numeracy

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With the changing nature of the Internet, these sites may no longer exist or they may exist in different formats. To suggest new sites for inclusion, to report bad links, or to comment on any of the listings in this resource, please use the feedback form .

1. subtopics: Complex Numbers, Constants, Exponential Growth, Fibonacci Numbers, Fractals, Infinity, Knot Theory, Metrics, Miscellaneous, Pi, Primes, Pythagorean Theorem, Roman Numerals

   Complex Numbers

   1. Complex numbers
   2. John and Betty's Journey into Complex Numbers
   3. Question Corner -- The Origin of Complex Numbers

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   Constants

   1. Favorite Mathematical Constants
      This site includes articles devoted to constants from various subdiciplines of mathematics.

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   Exponential Growth

   1. A Question of Scale
      Powers of ten

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   Fibonacci Numbers

   1. Easier Fibonacci puzzles
   2. Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Section
   3. Fibonacci Numbers and Nature

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   Fractals

   1. African Fractals
   2. Fantastic Fractals
   3. Fractals
      This site is designed for elementary and middle schoolers, looks at the mathematics behind fractal graphics This site is designed for the elementary and middle schoolers but will certainly enjoyed by adults.
   4. Fractal Links
   5. Fractal pictures & animations
      Fractal images & animations of CNAM Paris. A French version of these web pages is available Some very nice Mandelbrot pictures & zooming animations are available
   6. Fractal Microscope: A Distributed Computing Approach to Mathematics in Education
      The Fractal Microscope is an interactive tool designed by the Education Group at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) for exploring the Mandelbrot set and other fractal patterns.
   7. An Introduction to Fractals
   8. Mandelbrot and Julia Set Explorer
      User sets the parameters, clicks on the previous image, and this site generates a new fractal image
   9. On Growth & Form: Learning Probability Concepts By "Doing Science"
      "Analyzing fractal patterns in nature. In each module, students typically start with a hands-on activity in which they flip coins or roll dice to mimic the randomness involved in forming structures such as lightning bolts, coastlines, neurons, termite tunnels, bacterial colonies, root systems, forest growth, soil cracking, galactic distributions, mountain ranges, deltas, tides, clouds, DNA nucleotide sequencing, coral formations, and body organs. As repetitive coin flipping becomes tedious, students turn to computer simulations, which demonstrate how fundamentally random microscopic events can give rise to fractal macroscopic patterns. The programs can be downloaded right from this page"

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   Infinity

   1. Infinity Hotel Infinity
      "When turn-of-the-century mathematician Georg Cantor approached the subject of infinity with mathematical rigor, he encountered many paradoxes. At the Hotel Infinity, these paradoxes come to life."
   2. Infinity
   3. Infinity is for Children-and Mathematicians!
   4. Large Numbers and Infinity
   5. Question of Scale
      Quarks to Quasars This is a visual journey consisting of 42 images -- 42 powers of ten. At one end of the journey is the immensity of the known universe, some 15 000 000 000 years old and 10 to 20x109 light years across. At the other end of the journey is a depiction of the three quarks within a proton.

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   Knot Theory

   1. KnotPlot Site
      A collection of knots and links, viewed from a (partly) mathematical perspective. The images were created with KnotPlot, a program designed to illustrate and manipulate mathematical knots in three and four dimensions. Browse the picture gallery and read a description of KnotPlot's features.
   2. Knots
   3. Knot Theory
   4. Untangling The Mathematics Of Knots - MegaMath
      A hands on exploration of the fundamental ideas of knot theory, with a variety of activities for exploring knots made from pieces of rope. The activities outlined can be combined to form a single lesson about mathematical knots.

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   Metrics

   1. Metrics Matter
      "Quick, how many centimeters are there in an inch? Ever wrack your brain trying to remember how many kilometers there are in a mile? Well, never again. This site, developed by a group of sixth graders, offers a thorough explanation of the metric system, the reasons for using it, and even an online unit converter."
   2. Toward a Metric America
      The Metric Program seeks to accelerate the Nation's transition to the metric system, the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce.

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   Miscellaneous

   1. About Numbers
      What do you want to know about numbers. Here are more than 200 links to questions such as "Why can't negative numbers be prime numbers?" or "One of my teachers insists that the value of 0.9999999999... is one. The other insists that anyone who thinks that 0.9999999... is one is an idiot! So????
   2. About today's date
      One of my favorite sites, you must check this out a lot can be done in the classroom with this site.
   3. Complexity On-line
      Complexity On-line is a scientific information network about complex systems. Found here are access to sites, publications (including the Complexity On-line Journal ) and other sources of interest.
   4. Continued Fractions - An introduction
   5. Data Powers of Ten
      A collection of estimates of the quantities of data contained by the various media.
   6. Discrete Mathematics
      Exploring discrete mathematics in the classroom using The Twelve Days of Christmas
   7. Glossary of Mathematical Mistakes
      "This is a list of mathematical mistakes made over and over by advertisers, the media, reporters, politicians, activists, and in general many non-math people."
   8. Golden Ratio
      Introduction to the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence. Instead of simply supplying definitions and asking the student to engage in mindless practice, the idea is to have the student work through several activities to discover the applications of the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence.
   9. Golden Ratio
      This site is devoted to the Golden Ratio Project.  In this page, will be found information about the golden ratio, Fibonacci numbers, and how they relate to biology, art, and ancient Egyptian art. 
   10. Golden Ratio in Probability
   11. Interactive Mathematics Online
       Do you know how to make stereograms? Or an introduction to chaos theory, find it at this site
   12. Life by the Numbers
       PBS’s seven part TV series, teacher resources
   13. Mathematical Snippets
       This site, created by the Mathematics Department at Bellevue Community College in Bellevue, Washington, contains descriptions of six mathematical concepts: the Pythagorean Theorem, Archimedes' Tombstone, the Mobius Strip, the Koch Snowflake Curve, Plateau's Problem, and Counting to Infinity. Good fun and concepts are nicely hyperlinked.
   14. Numeracy
       What Does "Numeracy" Mean?
   15. Palindromic Numbers and other interesting facts
   16. Patterns in Mathematics
       By exploring logic patterns, number patterns, and word patterns. the user will connect language and mathematics to develop skills for thinking clearly, strategically, critically, and creatively
   17. Perfect Number Journey
       Lessons on number patterns and properties of numbers. Perfect numbers are equal to the sum of all of their factors (not including the number itself).
   18. Some disasters attributable to bad numerical computing
       The author of this site has collected information on three disasters: The Patriot missile failure, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on February 25, 1991; the explosion of the Ariane 5 rocket just after lift-off on its maiden voyage off French Guiana, on June 4, 1996; and the sinking of the Sleipner An offshore platform in Gandsfjorden near Stavanger, Norway, on August 23, 1991 which were the result of "bad numerical computing."
   19. Teacher Resources For Mathematics
   20. What Good is Math
   21. What is a number
   22. Zero Saga & Confusions With Numbers
       A critical panoramic view of basic mathematical fallacies surrounding zero, such as: dividing by zero, taking the limit,IEEE special floating point, the notion of zero throughout history, when zero is "not there", the origin of infinity and its symbol, taking the square root of both sides of an equality, manipulation on divergent zero, taking conventions for proofs, taking the derivative with respect to a discrete variable, misplacement of the sign (square root) confusion between a number and an operation, and , "errant views"

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   Pi

   1. Calculating Pi
   2. The Miraculous Bailey-Borwein-Plouffe Pi Algorithm
      David Bailey, Peter Borwein and Simon Plouffe have recently computed the ten billionth digit in the hexadecimal expansion of pi.
   3. The Most Useless Pi Algorithm
   4. Notes on Pi
   5. Number Crunching Page
      Find a program here to calculate Pi.
   6. Passion for Pi
      An article by Ivars Petersan.
   7. Pi and other Constants
   8. Pi Mathematics Home Page
   9. Pi Through the Ages
   10. Pi to 50,000 decimal places
   11. Pi Searcher Page
   12. Pi Trivia Game
   13. Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Page
       The Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Page
   14. The Useless Pages
       All kinds of links to Pi.
   15. Where is your Birthday in PI?
       This is a searchable index. Enter search keywords: This document will tell you where in PI your birthday first occurs.

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   Primes

   1. GIMPS finds another record prime
   2. Ivars Peterson's MathTrek-Prime
      An essay on hunting for prime numbers
   3. Largest Known Primes
   4. Largest Prime, WHY? Authors answer the question "Why would anyone want to find a prime that big?"
   5. Mersenne Prime Search
      sponsored by GIMPS, the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search
   6. Prime Numbers
   7. Primes Page
   8. Digits project
      The Digits of the World

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   Pythagorean Theorem

   1. Animated Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
   2. Proving the Pythagorean Theorem
      The objectives of this hypercard lesson is explain the meaning of the Pythagorean Theorem , and prove the Pythagorean Theorem in two clear ways that are visual-based and demonstrate the usefulness of the Pythagorean Theorem and its applications
   3. Pythagorean playground
      " From this site, we will use the amazing properties of the Pythagorean Theorem to explore the world around us. "
   4. Pythagorean Triplets
      Pythagorean Triplets are integer solutions to the Pythagorean Theorem.

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   Roman Numerals

   1. Roman Numerals 101